Electronics Wizzards About?

AlwaysTrying

Hi all,
Quick post: I'm looking for suggestions on finding someone who can bring an electronics and (very basic) software project to life within a tight budget.

I need someone with the equipment, skills, passion and time to prototype something for me.

The whole thing is pretty simple electronics-wise but I require top quality design and do not have any of the above skills to complete it myself.

Once a working prototype is approved I would quickly need to produce a handful of these devices with a view to producing a lot more over time so it'd be profitable enough for an interested party in the very short term and, with a bit of luck, might be a very nice gig to have over the medium/long term.

The product has been brewing for a couple of years now so I know exactly what is required which should make the process very succinct.

All suggestions welcome.

Chet T16

Any clue what it is?

AlwaysTrying

Hi. Can't give too much away unfortunately but its a control unit for a few peripherals. Pretty much just turning stuff on and off both manually and as a result of a trigger from another peripheral. Also displaying status so we're talking a custom pcb with some relays, a button or two, a simple display, powered by electricity and also having battery backup. I have a full list of features for the wizard(apologies for the bad spelling in the title!) should I find him/her.

Ideally, I'd like someone who could guide on what the possibilities are in terms of design, size, etc. always keeping tabs on overall production costs, component costs, etc. As the control unit will be visible I, of course, I have sleek seamless design ideas in my head but have to be pragmatic so I expect something reasonably nice nethier clunky box nor Apply IPhone but somewhere in the middle.

I've had some help from a friend in researching stuff so I know all the components are available from places like RapidOnline.com and aren't expensive at all. As I say all the features revolve around triggering stuff on and off so I know this is pretty simple electronics. The devils will lurk in the detail I'm sure but I'm certain I can produce what I need cheaply. I just don't have the skills.

Thanks.

Chet T16

It's hard to help without details. PM me with exactly what you need including any constraints and I'll see if I can help

DublinDilbert

It sounds like electronics is just one element of this, you'll also need mechanical design and industrial design. Although for just a prototype getting the electronics up and running would be a good start.

What protocols are being used to interface between the peripheral devices? wireless? wired?

It sounds like your just looking for a simple prototype at the moment, the amount of development effort required will depend on the complexity of the product and if there's any existing hardware that can be reused (eg development board or other products). A prototype early on is always good, you will probably want to add additional features when you kick off the main formal product development.

Who ever you get to do the development, make sure you have all of the schematics, gerbers, bills of materials, software source code etc...

If you have any questions post them here or drop me a PM

ted1

Are you building a buisness around this? The thing with electronics is you sell hardware or you use hardware. If don't plan on making a profit from selling hardware then your best bet is to use an existing product that can do the job already. Once you start you them have finance and a better idea of what you need and them develop your own piece of kit